


Remold

by GottaWriteEmAll



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Growing Up, Masara Town | Pallet Town (Pokemon), Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GottaWriteEmAll/pseuds/GottaWriteEmAll
Summary: Ash was not sure what he should do with himself now that he, Brock, and Misty had parted ways. He felt a lot like he did three years ago, when he was ten years old dragging a reluctant pikachu with the clothesline his mom packed for him, except this time instead of dragging the reluctant mouse pokemon, he was dragging his own feet on what path he should take next.
Kudos: 15





	Remold

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! This is my first ever completed fanfiction. I’ve started many fanfictions over the years, but I always lost faith in the writing process and without fail abandoned my rough drafts every attempt. This fanfiction was a sort of test for me. I told myself that I had to try to finish this story, even if it ended up being bad. Let me know what y’all think in the comments, if you’d like! I’m very proud I completed this story. I know there is a lot of improvement to be had, but I’m thankful to have finally started the journey! Constructive criticism is always welcome, even if it is just a spelling or grammatical mistake. I need to improve on my grammar as well as punctuation. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

Ash was not sure what he should do with himself now that he, Brock, and Misty had parted ways. He felt a lot like he did three years ago, when he was ten years old dragging a reluctant pikachu with the clothesline his mom packed for him, except this time instead of dragging the reluctant mouse pokemon, he was dragging his own feet on what path he should take next. Without Brock and Misty it seemed like his confidence had disappeared, even with Pikachu and his other pokemon by his side cheering him on.

Should he travel across Kanto again? There were still plenty of people to meet and places in his home region to explore. Heck, there were still plenty of places he’d never been and people to meet in Johto and the Orange Islands, too. Should he double down and train with the pokémon he had already caught?

Deep in thought, Ash’s foot caught on a rock sticking out of the road and he fell face first into the dirt. The sudden commotion spooked several pidgeys from the trees surrounding the path.

“Pikapi!”

Pikachu hopped off Ash’s shoulder and went right up to his trainer’s head, trying to gauge if he was okay.

“Ouch… I’m alright, Pikachu,” Ash mumbled as he pulled himself upright into a sitting position and wiped the dirt and loose rocks from his face.

“Pipi pika pikapi chu?”

“What? No, I’m fine, Pikachu. Really.” 

Crossing his arms, Pikachu didn’t look convinced at all. Honestly, it should not surprise the teen at all. Pikachu was his first pokemon, his best friend, and his partner. They were family. They’ve been through everything together, afterall. So it should not be a revelation that the electric mouse could understand his trainer’s moods, especially when Ash’s blue mood was so easy to see it could have been worn on his sleeve. Ash couldn’t hide anything from Pikachu. He’d never need to, either. Ash took a deep breath and readjusted himself into a comfortable cross-legged position. They were still in the path, but there hadn’t been anyone passing them by in hours, so Ash figured this was as good a place as any to tell Pikachu the truth. Pikachu following his trainer’s lead, plopped down beside Ash and gave his trainer a reassuring pat on his knee. 

“Well, Pikachu, the truth is things have been weird since splitting from Brock and Misty a few days ago. I know Misty has to go back and take over as the Cerulean Gym leader, and I know Brock has to help out his dad to take care of his brothers and sisters.” Ash paused then looked at his partner. 

“Chu,” Pikachu nodded in understanding. He motioned for Ash to continue.

“Well… I suppose… I miss them and I’m not sure what comes next.” Ash wasn’t the best at interpreting his emotions. He usually was so sure of himself, at least when it came to pokemon because as far back as he could remember he always had the ultimate goal of becoming a pokémon master! In order to do that he’d need to accomplish smaller goals like defeating the next gym leader, catching more pokemon to train, traveling around the world, and battling every trainer he meets.

Pikachu assumed a thinking pose and pondered on Ash’s words. After several minutes, the mouse pokemon clapped his paws together, snapping Ash out of his blue trance. 

“Chu, Pikapi,” Pikachu nodded sagely.

“Huh?” Ash’s dumbfounded expression made Pikachu roll his eyes.

“Chu, Pikapi,” his partner repeated slowly. 

“Go back to Pallet Town? You mean go home?”

The little mouse nodded enthusiastically and hopped on Ash’s shoulder ready to go, as if that decided everything. The cogs churned in Ash’s mind. Brows furrowing, Ash decided that Pikachu’s advice did make some sense, especially since he wasn’t exactly sure where to go or what to do next. Brock usually took care of that with his trusty map and the experience you can only get from being the older brother of nine younger siblings. Misty of course kept him on task and out of danger (though Ash would never admit that to her face) with her ever present nagging. It would also be nice to see Professor Oak and catch up with all his pokémon that were currently staying at Oak’s ranch. 

It had also been about a month since the Silver Conference and Ash still had not made the effort to video call his mom. He knew he should visit and of course call his mom more. When he finally stopped putting off calling her, the young teen could see how much his mom worried and missed him. Even so, sometimes he just couldn’t bring himself to make a simple call at the frequent pokécenters he visits. Not calling his mom made him feel guilty, which in turn made him put off calling her for even longer periods of time. It was a never ending cycle. The young teen told himself that he’s just too busy between the battles, gym challenges, and traveling to call his mom every time he steps into a pokécenter. 

Bringing his hand up to his chin, Ash thought some more about Pikachu’s words. Professor Oak is really smart, and not just about pokémon! Perhaps the old man could advise Ash on his next steps to his ultimate goal. He didn’t have to figure this all out on his own. Grinning and his eyes a little brighter, he decided right then and there he’d return to Pallet. He’d train with all his pokémon together, talk with the professor, and make time for his mom. He’d also be able to hang out with Tracey. Yeah! 

Suddenly, Ash sprang up, so full of determination and energy that Pikachu, who had almost fallen asleep waiting for his trainer to end his internal musings, had to grip tightly around Ash’s pack to keep from falling off into the dirt. 

“Let’s go, Pikachu! Back home we go!” Ash’s enthusiasm was infectious. Pikachu let out a cry and pumped up his paw through the air in agreement. Finally resolute, Ash ran headfirst along the road until sunset. 

————————————————————————

The stadium was packed and the crowd was wild, cheering Ash and Pikachu on to victory! Both partners were pumped and ready for their opponent’s last pokémon. Pikachu, though tired from the previous match, looked determined as numerous needle thin sparks let loose from his cheeks. This was it! Once they defeated this last pokémon, they would finally become the champions!

The shadowy trainer on the opposite side of the field returned his fainted pokémon and threw a new pokéball to reveal… a giant hand?! Ash’s face screwed up in confusion. Is this a new type of pokémon? Perhaps a ditto opting to confuse the opponent right from the start ensuring the advantage by causing its challenger to let their guard down? There was no time to figure it out because the hand was coming straight for Pikachu and Ash! As the giant hand approached both trainer and pokémon, its massive shadow overtook them, fear rooting them in place. The hand hoverd for a few, slow agonizing seconds before slamming down on them both and leaving nothing but a cloud of dirt in its wake. 

SLAP!

Ash bolted up in his bed and instantly felt his cheek stinging. Feeling another presence in his bedroom, Ash quickly turned his head to discover an annoyed Mr. Mime glaring at him. With a final tug, Mr. Mime yanked the blanket off the confused teen leaving him with a chill. 

“Wha… What did you do that for, Mr. Mime? And give me back my blanket!” Ash yelled while rubbing his cheek. 

However, Ash’s indignation was no match for a mad and determined Mr. Mime, much less if said Mr. Mime belonged to his mother. The psychic pokémon unceremoniously grabbed the mattress, pulled it up, and watched Ash plop down to the floor with an undignified thud, all while showing no sign of amusement on his pale face. 

“Oh, Ash! You need to get up! You better be up and ready to help me and Mimey, mister! It's Washing Day!” Ash heard from downstairs. Ugh, the dreaded Washing Day, the day filled with Ash’s least favorite (he didn’t have a favorite) chore. So that was what Mr. Mime was up to. Well, Ash figured, he didn’t need to be so rude about it. With a big huff, the miming pokémon gathered all of the bedding and swiftly made his way out of Ash’s room. 

Looking up at the clock, Ash noticed that it was almost 10:30 a.m. Geez, he overslept. Ash sighed and stood up, still trying to rub the pain out of his cheek. Stillness was all Ash felt and heard. Where was Pikachu? Or his other pokémon for that matter? He did not see them anywhere in his room. He figured they must have gotten up earlier and conspired together to quietly leave the room, not wanting to share the delicious blueberry pancakes with their trainer that his mom promised to make for breakfast. Some friends they were! 

Not bothering to change out of his pajamas, Ash made his way downstairs to the kitchen to find not only Pikachu but all of his pokémon scarfing down what remained of breakfast. The teen’s stomach growled loudly, stopping his pokémon from their feeding frenzy. Bayleaf, Cyndaquil, Noctowel, Pikachu, Todadile, and Heracross all smiled and happily greeted their trainer, who disappointedly looked down at the table to realize that his suspicions were true—none of the delicious, buttery, blueberry-filled pancakes were left, none that didn’t have a bite mark in them anyways. 

“Aww Pikachu! Why didn’t you save any for me?” Ash moaned in an exaggerated manner. 

The mouse pokémon put a paw behind his head and looked sheepish. “Pi pika pikapi chu,” Pikachu said apologetically. 

Ash let out a small laugh and patted Pikachu on the head. “Don’t worry about it, pal. I know I get carried away too when it comes to my mom’s cooking. Let’s see what else there is. Knowing my mom, there should be plenty to eat.” 

Since the pancakes were a lost cause, Ash poked around the kitchen for a minute and settled on some cheesy toast as well as a big glass of moomoo milk for a late breakfast. Ash supposed the saying was true: You snooze, you loose. And in this case it was his mom’s special pancakes. He for sure definitely wouldn’t be late for another meal while home again, especially if his pokémon weren’t within his line of sight or safely inside their pokéballs. 

Eating his toast and watching his pokémon resume their breakfast, Ash began thinking of how he was going to get out of helping his mom with chores. He didn’t make much progress in his plans before his mom returned to the kitchen. 

“There you are, honey. You slept in this morning and almost missed breakfast. Are you feeling sick?” Delia asked while gently placing the back of her hand to her son’s forehead.

Ash moved her hand aside and reassured her, “I’m fine, Mom. Really. I guess I just needed some extra sleep is all.”

Having her son confirm that he was indeed alright was all she needed to hear. She clapped her hands together enthusiastically. “Good! Since you’ve had a good night’s rest, then you won’t mind helping me with today’s chores. Mimey has been a wonderful help with washing and drying the bedding and clothes, but there is still much more to do!” His mom took a breath and then pulled out a folded piece of paper from her skirt pocket. Unfolding the list she started to read out which chores would be delegated to Ash. “Your bedding and traveling clothes need to be to properly washed and hung to dry, the floors of your room should be to be swept first then mopped, there’s also this pesky murkrow in the garden that won’t leave and Mimey’s attacks don’t seem to have any effect on it…”

Ash started to zone out and his brain stopped processing what his mom was saying. He knew that chores were an important part of keeping any home ship shape, however, he didn’t want to spend the whole day doing them! He wanted to relax with his pokémon and figure out his next course of action to become a pokémon master. In Ash’s mind, chores definitely wouldn’t aid him in climbing to the top. 

“... And when you are finished with all of that, I need you to deliver this package to Samuel that was mailed here by mistake.”

Ash’s ears perked up.

“Deliver a package to Professor Oak?”

Oh Ash could do that. He could also conveniently stay over at the lab for the rest of day and miss doing all those boring chores. 

Delia saw the mischievous glint in her son’s eyes. “Oh no you don’t, Ash Ketchum! You are going to help with Washing Day and the rest of the chores. Those are your clothes you’ll be washing. You’re thirteen now and it is time you took more responsibility. Misty and Brock told me you rarely do your fair share of chores while traveling,” his mom finished with her hands on her hips.

Her son opened and closed his mouth several times, not knowing how to reply to the last thing she said, so he decided to ignore that and try replying to the first thing instead. 

“I’ll totally help, Mom. But a nice walk up to Oak’s Lab with my pokémon first will uh, help me focus and um, be way more productive when I get back.” 

Delia raised a brow. She didn’t look convinced at all, but Ash noted that she didn’t say no and decided to act promptly. 

Quickly before his mother could respond, Ash gulped down the rest of his moomoo milk and grabbed his pokéball belt he left on the kitchen counter last night and returned his pokémon. With Pikachu at his side, Ash snatched up Oak’s parcel, laced up his shoes, and zipped out the door. Ash didn’t even give his mom a chance to tell him to change out of his pajamas. 

————————————————————————

“Gary! What are you doing here?!”

Gary took one look at Ash and his pajama clad appearance and burst out laughing. Ash and Pikachu just stood at the entrance to Professor Oak’s Lab with dumbfounded confusion. Finally, Gary seemed to have had enough and through an amused grin explained to his rival why he was laughing so hard. 

“Nice pj’s, Ashy-boy. I especially like that adorable jigglypuff pattern,” Gary teased. 

The younger teen’s face felt hot and he looked down to discover that he was in fact, still in the pajamas his mom had laid out for him the night before. In his rush to get out the door, he forgot to change into something more appropriate. However, the overly pink pajamas weren’t the only thing he started to feel self-conscious about. He had also forgotten his official Pokémon League hat, which not only hid his unruly hair but also gave him a boost of confidence every time he glanced in the mirror to see it there. Ash thought he just looked better with his hat on. His pokéball belt also looked out of place on his waist next to the singing jigglypuff pattern. 

Looking anywhere but at Gary’s stupid grin, Ash muttered “My mom bought the pajamas,” and shoved Oak’s package in the jerk’s face in an attempt to change the subject. “This package was mailed to my house by mistake. It’s for Professor Oak.”

Sensing Ash’s discomfort, Gary’s grin softened into a gentle smile and offered for the duo to come inside. Ash loved spending time at Professor Oak’s home. It was not only a space for living in, but also a space for study and exploration into the relationships between human and pokémon. The thousands of acres that made up the natural superstructure of pokémon habitats surrounding the Professor’s laboratory and home made all that possible.

“And to answer your original question, Ashy, I’ve recently been helping Gramps out with his research. Two research aids quit last week and Gramps needs all the extra help he can get right now.” Gary paused and then winked at Ash. “Let’s go to the lab so you can give it to him personally. Gramps, Tracey, and I were about to break for lunch anyways.”

As the trio made their way upstairs, a distressing thought occurred to Ash—his rival hadn’t been training his pokémon, and he seemed to be absolutely a-okay with that fact! 

Ash blurted out, “But what about your pokémon training?”

“Hmm? What about it?” Gary asked nonchalantly while glancing down at Ash.

Huffing, Ash thought his concerns were quite obvious and didn’t merit an explanation, but in the effort to keep their newly formed friendship on solid ground, Ash decided to explain it to his thick headed friend anyway.

“If you’re here at the lab, how are you going to travel, collect badges, and challenge the pokémon leagues? Don’t you still want to become a pokémon master, Gary?”

It was simple. You couldn’t both help out with Professor Oak’s research and do all that was needed to be a pokémon master. And Ash thought Gary was smart.

“Oh, Ash. Always with a one track mind! There’s more to pokémon, heck there’s more to life, than just training pokémon. And don’t worry I can still beat ya in a battle anytime I want. Studying pokémon will give me every advantage I need. We will have our re-match, don’t ya worry about that!” Gary declared as he ushered Ash and Pikachu through the large doors leading all three to find the professor and Tracey hovering over what looked like some important papers. 

The lab was huge and filled with all sorts of computers and machines to study pokémon. There were also many bookcases packed with books, scientific journals, and the Professor’s own research. It all caused Ash’s head to spin. He certainly was out of his element. Professor Oak (he wasn’t a professor by profession for nothing), Gary, and Tracey are all very intelligent; Ash acknowledging this fact in the middle of a room filled with books and technology he couldn’t begin to understand made Ash feel uncomfortable and weirdly, embarrassed. He never felt that way before when visiting Professor Oak’s lab. I shouldn’t have left the house without my hat, Ash thought. 

Putting those thoughts aside, the teen finally noticed the professor and Tracey looking in their direction, Oak with an amused upturn to his lips and Tracey snickering with a hand over his mouth, trying but failing to keep his giggles in. Ash bounced over and quickly offered up the parcel to the elder man in response.

“It was mailed to my house by mistake, Professor,” Ash repeated from what he told Gary earlier.

“Ah! So there’s the package I’ve been waiting for. I’m sorry you had to go to the trouble of delivering it all the way out here, and in your pajamas, too.”

Placing a hand behind his head, Ash fibbed. “I just came by to drop it off real quick and then head home.” Well, it wasn’t entirely a fib, but the teen reasoned there was no point in staying much longer if he was dressed like this. He needed to return home and get dressed. Besides, he could always come back up to Oak’s later that day, even if his initial plan of skipping out on chores was foiled. Ash Ketchum was always welcome in Professor Oak’s home, day or night. 

The elder man placed a hand to his chin and thought aloud, “Hmm it is a shame you have to leave so soon, Ash. I have a few upgrades available for your pokédex.” 

“Upgrades to Dexter? What for?”

Tracey and Gary gave each other a knowing look and grinned at Ash and Pikachu, who both looked utterly confused in response to Oak’s statement. Carefully placing the package down on his desk, Professor Oak motioned for all of them to join him over at the large computer built into the wall. After clicking several buttons on the remote in Oak’s hand, the screen flashed to life and a map of a foreign land Ash had never seen or heard of before was presented before his eyes.

“Ash, this is a map of the Hoenn Region, an island nation located across the ocean from the Kanto and Johto regions. Over a hundred new pokémon species inhabit Hoenn, new to us Kantonians at least.” 

Ash’s eyes widened with wonder and his mouth hung open in response as images of pokémon, cities, and landmarks he’d never known existed filled the screen. It was all too much. So much so, Ash plopped down on the floor (Pikachu opting instead to make himself comfortable in his trainer’s lap and not the cold floor) like a small child eager to listen to an elder’s thrilling and adventurous tale. The youngest teen would never tire of those, whether he experienced them first hand or by listening to another’s account of their adventures. So naturally, he was enraptured as Oak explained that Hoenn, like the Kanto and Johto regions, had its own pokémon league called the Ever Grande Conference. This league was set up pretty similarly to the Kanto and Johto leagues with one needing to collect at least eight badges from the numerous gyms located all around the nation in order to compete in the tournament.

Ash's eyes sparkled while thinking about all the new pokémon he would encounter, catch, and become friends with. Hands clenching, his thoughts bubbled with excitement and determination now knowing where his next path led. He needed to go to this new region, challenge as many gyms as possible, and win the Ever Grande Conference. 

But this time he would go alone… Brock and Misty wouldn’t be by his side this time, guiding him. Of course, he’d have Pikachu and his other pokémon traveling with him, but no matter how much he loved and trusted his pokémon, human and pokémon companions were ultimately different. Ash would have to step up and be the leader on this journey. He would have to cook and prepare all the meals. He would have to read the map and hope they’d not make a wrong turn, resulting in getting lost for days or heaven forbid weeks. He would actually have to read about the places he was traveling to instead of relying solely on Brock to provide that information. Unless he was near a pokémon center, he alone would have to take care of his pokémon if they got sick or hurt. Ash was pretty in tune with his pokémon—when in battle—but lacked that understanding in other aspects, especially if they were more complicated than simple needs or wants. Lastly, he would have to use his own money, which to be honest he didn’t have much of. Brock and Misty usually paid for food, supplies, and well, everything else. It dawned on him that he never realized just how much he depended on his two best friends.

With these thoughts swirling through Ash’s mind, the exhilaration of a new journey beginning swiftly faded, and a gloomy, uncertain look returned to Ash’s face. It was the same look that Pikachu saw a few days ago when they had had their talk sitting in the middle of the road. 

Tracey crouched down next to Ash on the floor and asked, “Are you okay, Ash? We thought you’d be more excited to learn about Hoenn.” 

Petting Pikachu’s head Ash explained that he wouldn’t be traveling with Misty and Brock anymore and that he wasn’t sure if he was ready to go to a foreign region, especially one across the ocean, all alone.

Gary let out an exasperated sigh. “Is that all? You’re worried over nothing! We knew you’d be on your own this time around and thought ahead. Ms. Ketchum was even in on it, too.” 

Ash jumped up, forcing Pikachu to quickly hop out of the way, and yelled, “Thought ahead? You mean you guys are gonna help me?”

Professor Oak winced in response to Ash’s outburst. He rubbed his ears and replied, “Precisely, Ash.” Oak then turned to open a drawer in his desk and pulled out several items. 

The first was a plastic card. “This, Ash, will allow you to access the funds necessary for your travels throughout the Hoenn region. There is more than enough here for everything you might need. Supplies, food, and what have you. Do not spend money on things you or your pokémon do not need, Ash. You’re thirteen now, and Delia and I both believe this is a responsibility you’ve proven ready for.” 

Ash took the card carefully from Professor Oak with both hands and stared at it. The elder man then picked up the other two items to show Ash: a detailed map and a traveling book with the title, The Hoenn Region, An Ultimate Guide. 

“Here you are, Ash. I think you will find both these items particularly useful. I suggest you spend your time wisely and read this book as well as study this map to plan your travels effectively.”

Tucking the plastic card into the shirt pocket of his pajamas, Ash took the map and guide book from the professor and looked at both with an unenthusiastic expression. The map Ash could work with, but the guide book was thick and had way more words than pictures. Ash knew he would struggle to read it but at least he would have some time to get started before setting off for Hoenn. Perhaps Tracey could help him with the more difficult passages…

Clearing his throat, Professor Oak turned to his desk and lifted up the package Ash originally delivered into view. “This actually is something for you,” the elder man said with a smile and returned it back for Ash to open.The youngest trainer placed the book and map down on the floor and opened the box eagerly to reveal a small gadget. 

Ash’s brows furrowed as he turned the gadget in his hands and asked, “What is it?”

“It is a PokéNav, Ash!” Tracey responded brightly. “It has a built-in map of the Hoenn region, in case you lose or damage your physical map. It also has a cell phone programmed in with all our numbers so you can call us anytime when you get yourself into trouble,” Tracey teased with a reassuring smile. 

“Indeed, Ash. The PokéNav is an amazing device that will not only aid you on your journey, but will also allow you to better stay in communication,” Professor Oak reiterated. He then squeezed Ash’s shoulder and emphasized in a lower tone, “Call your mother more often. She misses you dearly.”

Tears welled up in Ash’s eyes, threatening to fall despite all the support surrounding him.

“Are you crying, Ash?” Gary asked almost laughing.

“No way!” Ash blurted out, quickly wiping the extra moisture from his face. He couldn’t—no he wouldn’t cry in front of Gary of all people! A few warning sparks flew from Pikachu’s cheeks as the mouse pokémon glared at Ash’s rival in an effort to silence the teasing. It worked perfectly, and Gary instantly threw up his hands placatingly, hoping he wouldn’t be on the receiving end of one of Pikachu’s Thunderbolt attacks. The electric mouse nodded his head indignantly. He then smiled fondly up at his trainer and patted his leg in a comforting manner. 

————————————————————————

The night before Ash was to set off for the ports of Vermilion city, he opted to sleep outside under the stars with all his pokémon. Sighing, Ash smiled while watching the clouds pass overhead, the stars twinkling in between the thin, feather-like wisps. The air was still, but comfortable, and Ash could hear his pokémon friends snoring all around him. I’m going to miss this, miss everybody, Ash thought to himself. 

Ash unfolded his arms from behind his head, quietly sat up from his makeshift grassy bed, and took a long look at his pokémon, feeling an intense fondness for each and every one of them. 

Predictably, both Kingler and Todadile choose to snooze in the cool waters of the small pond about ten paces from where Ash chose to settle down. Kingler nestled in the pond’s shallow bottom, his thorny crown slightly poking from the water's surface and letting loose small bubbles which floated overhead into the air. Todadile, instead, chose to rest on his back on a large lily pad, his small feet patting the air. Ash grinned. Todadile even dances in his sleep! 

To the left of the pond just under a large maple tree, Ash could make out the bright blues and deep reds of Phanpy’s skin rising and falling in turn with Snorlax’s stomach. Ash knew from experience just how comfortable Snorlax’s stomach could be to nap on, and he also had the unfortunate experience of personally learning that Snorlax liked to turn onto his stomach while sleeping. He broke a rib that day, and in response Snorlax refused to sleep too close to Ash in fear of causing his trainer unintended harm. Fortunately for Phanpy, the long nose pokémon is tough, much tougher than any human and more than capable of taking on a body slam, even while dreaming. 

Snorlax and Phanpy weren’t the only pokémon sleeping under the colorful maple tree however. The tree’s trunk was large and had more than enough room for both Bulbasaur and Cyndaquil to cuddle together on the other side. Turning his head, memories surfaced to the front of Ash’s mind when Charmander first joined their team three years ago and how the seed pokémon brushed aside the newest member of their group, despite Charmander’s brave attempts at camaraderie even after his abandonment. Bulbasaur wasn’t too enthused about a fire pokémon, much less one with a roaring fire on the end of its tail, standing or sleeping too close. Bulbasaur never seemed to feel that way around Cyndaquil though. Perhaps it was because Cyndaquil’s fire only ignited during a battle and almost never outside of that? 

Suddenly, Ash heard a low humming sound, which suspiciously sounded a lot like Heracross’ wings. Raising an unimpressed brow, Ash squinted at the tree trunk and through the darkness could faintly see the beetle’s blue horn poking slightly from around the otherside of the tree, but Ash didn’t need to worry too much for Bulbasaur or the apparently delicious nectar in his bulb. Ash rolled his eyes and nodded in acknowledgement towards Noctowl, whose bright flashing eyes were keeping watch over Bulbasaur. Noctowl had little patience for Heracross’ antics, especially when her trainer had to get an early start in the morning. She cooed softly at her human. Noctowl was right Ash thought. Alright, alright you wise owl. I’ll try to sleep. 

The teen scooted a little bit back on the grass and laid down again, this time with his head resting on Tauros’ side, who Ash had to admit made quite the comfortable (and warm) pillow. Tauros grunted and shifted more on his side to allow Ash more room for his head, neck, and upper back on the bull pokémon’s belly. This Tauros was his battling partner. Of course, Ash cared for all the Tauros he caught (accidentally or otherwise) from the Safari Zone, but this one was the only one of the bunch that actually liked battling. The others were quite content to spend their days racing throughout the thousands of acres that made up Oak’s ranch and growing fat from the regular feedings of delicious pokémon food the professor’s ranch team provided.

Muk snored loudly and rolled over closer to Ash’s feet. The grass around Muk suffocated under the toxic waste of the sludge pokémon’s body, causing the green to wilter and brown. Ash and the rest of his pokémon weren’t fond of Muk’s incredible stench (outside of battle), but they made an exception tonight to be so near and were rewarded with a surprising fact: When a muk felt joy, their terrible smell lessened considerably. Eyes widened, Ash realized that he couldn’t smell the gunk at all when Muk laid a goopy hand on his foot and snuggled closer.

A week earlier after returning home from Professor Oak’s, Ash resolved to spend as much time as he needed to prepare for his trip to Hoenn. He changed out of those (newly deemed) ridiculous pajamas, turned his official Pokémon League hat backwards, and got to work on each chore his mother assigned. Instead of feeling burdened and devoid of energy by the household tasks, he felt invigorated and full of purpose. That little murkrow didn’t stand a chance in his mother’s garden when Pikachu and Ash teamed up and caused it to quickly fly away after witnessing the electric sparks zooming above the vegetables! 

Tracey was especially helpful and even came over to the younger teen’s home to help him prepare, offering not only guidance but explaining the practicalities Ash would encounter as well. Tracey informed Ash that he would need to travel to the port city of Vermilion in order to reach Hoenn via ship. Tickets could then be purchased for the ocean liner, S.S. Tidal, when arriving at the port. It felt like a punch to the gut when Tracey mentioned that it might be a benefit to consider traveling only with one or two pokémon instead of six until Ash got into the rhythm of traveling alone without any human companions. 

With Tracey’s advice in mind, Ash quickly chose Pikachu (a no-brainer, of course) as well as Bayleef as travel companions. Bayleef would be an excellent and experienced pokémon to bring along with him to a new region, Ash thought. Though she could be jealous at times, especially of the bond between himself and Pikachu, she always came through no matter the challenge. Bayleef’s Vine Whip and Razor Leaf attacks have gotten him out of more dangerous situations than he could count, and if Team Rocket decided to recite their tired motto, Ash, Pikachu, and Bayleef would be more than ready to unleash a fight they wouldn’t soon forget! 

Unlike Bayleef, the teen’s other pokémon were much more understanding and did not need to be reassured or coddled when Ash announced that they would not be joining him on a new journey for quite some time. In fact, their frowns grew into enthusiastic grins when they learned they would have the privilege of vacationing at Oak’s cozy ranch while Ash, Pikachu, and Bayleef braved Hoenn’s wilds and cities alike. At first Ash felt slightly offended by this, but the feelings quickly slipped away as he uncrossed his arms and joined his pokémon in their anticipation of warm beds and delicious foods for months on end, not having to worry about battles, or seeking shelter from a thunderstorm, or eating leftovers day after day when supplies ran low, or enduring sore aching feet, or anything! They deserved a long and fun vacation, Ash thought coming back to the present under the milky starlit sky. 

Bayleef turned in her sleep from the soft patch of grass adjacent to Ash and Tauros, inching closer until the leaf pokémon ended up resting her chin on top of Ash’s shoulder.

“It is a good thing you aren’t boney,” Ash whispered into Bayleef’s ear who in turn smiled in her sleep and began to produce a serene, sweet scent from the large leaf on top of her head. Unlike Bayleef’s Sweet Scent attack, which could attract wild pokémon or lure one’s opponent into a false ease during a pokémon battle, this fragrance was much different. Bayleef always produced this particular scent when she was happiest. 

Recalling memories from a year earlier when Bayleef was just a small, spunky chikorita, the teen remembered smelling the fragrance for the first time when the grass starter climbed up on her new trainer’s left shoulder, mirroring Pikachu on the right. Ash’s grin lit up in the dark and he almost laughed. The day Chikorita joined the team, Chickorita sent a large razor leaf in Misty’s direction after she swatted Ash on the head. It wasn’t his fault Misty couldn’t smell the sweet scent coming off Chikorita’s leaf! Though, what ended up pushing the water trainer’s temper to the edge was Ash smugly declaring that his newly caught chikorita’s subtle fragrance smelled way better than any perfume, especially the perfume Celadon’s gym leader, Erika, produced and that perhaps Misty’s nose wasn’t refined enough to appreciate such a great smell. 

“Pikapi...”

Still grinning at the memory, Ash turned his head and looked down to discover that Pikachu wasn’t asleep like he thought but instead was standing up with what looked like the blanket Ash had tucked away in one of his packs, which he prepared earlier that afternoon in anticipation for tomorrow’s journey. 

His smile faded. “What are you doing awake, buddy?” Ash murmured. 

The mouse pokémon yawned and tossed the blanket onto Ash, narrowly missing Bayleef’s face, in response. He then hopped on Ash’s free shoulder and made himself quite at home building the perfect nest. With the warmth of Tauros’s fur, his trainer’s body heat, and the soft blanket Ash figured it would not take long at all for his friend to fall asleep. 

“Pikapi pi chu pi,” Pikachu advised nestling his red cheeks into the crook of Ash’s neck.

Yawning, Ash’s eyes finally began to drop in agreement. Pikachu was right. It was late and tomorrow held the promise of a new adventure, which meant getting a good night’s rest was ultimately imperative. Pulling the blanket up to his chest, Ash rested his head by Pikachu’s. The wispy clouds high in the darkness moved on some time ago. With their faces side by side, the best friends chanced one last look up towards the glittering, starry sky, up where all their wishes were born, before closing their eyes to dream.


End file.
